In the field of medicine, there has been an increasing need to develop implant materials for correction of biological defects. Particularly in the field of orthopedic medicine, there has been the need to replace or correct bone, ligament and tendon defects or injuries. As a result, there have emerged a number of synthetic implant materials, including but not limited to metallic implant materials and devices, devices composed in whole or in part from polymeric substances, as well as allograft, autograft, and xenograft implants. It is generally recognized that for implant materials to be acceptable, they must be pathogen-free, and must be biologically acceptable. Generally, it is preferable if the implant materials may be remodeled over time such that autogenous bone replaces the implant materials. This goal is best achieved by utilizing autograft bone from a first site for implantation into a second site. However, use of autograft materials is attended by the significant disadvantage that a second site of morbidity must be created to harvest autograft for implantation into a first diseased or injured site. As a result, allograft and xenograft implants have been given increasing attention in recent years. However, use of such materials has the disadvantage that human allograft materials are frequently low in availability and are high in cost of recovery, treatment and preparation for implantation. By contrast, while xenograft implant materials, such as bovine bone, may be of ready availability, immunological and disease transmission considerations imply significant constraints on the ready use of such materials.
In view of the foregoing considerations, it remains the case that there has been a long felt need for unlimited supplies of biologically acceptable implant materials for repair of bone and other defects or injuries. This invention provides a significant advance in the art, and largely meets this heed, by providing materials and methods for production of essentially any form of implant from component parts to produce assembled implants.
In recent months, there have appeared several patents and patent publications which address similar or identical considerations to those to which the present invention disclosure is directed. Specifically, reference is made to PCT publication WO00/40177, which published on 13 Jul. 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In addition, reference is made herein to U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,939 to Boyce, which issued on May 4, 1999, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Finally, reference is made herein to U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,538 to Yaccarino, which issued on Feb. 15, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.